LePage signs bill to give Maine official state march

AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill to give Maine an official state march.

“The Dirigo March” was written 51 years ago by Augusta native Leo Pepin, who is now 87. LePage signed the bill giving the march official status on Monday, after the House and Senate passed it unanimously.

Dirigo, Latin for “I lead,” is the Maine state motto. With the new law on the books, the score of “The Maine March” will be distributed to high school bands across the state, the bill’s sponsor, Augusta Republican Sen. Roger Katz tells the Kennebec Journal in Augusta.